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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. bore — to drill
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com